January 11

On This Day In Roman History, January 11

Theodora Porphyrogenita becomes sole Empress on January 11, 1055 CE. She was the last of the Macedonian dynasty, which stretched back to Basil I (ruling 867–886). Theodora's early life as an imperial princess destined her for marriage to the Emperor of The Holy Roman Empire, Otto III. However, Theodora's sister Zoe was later favored and chosen by Otto III for marriage. Otto died shortly before the marriage during a hunting accident.  Theodora lived several years in political obscurity until a series of events rendered her in line for the purple. Both Basil II (uncle) and her father had no sons, forcing Theodora quickly into the political spotlight. Her father, Constantine VIII, arranged a marriage with Romanos Argyros to succeed him. Theodora declined, stating that Romanos already had a wife, who conveniently had recently become a nun, allowing him to marry into the imperial family. After this decision, Zoe became the wife Romanos and convinced him to place a spy over Theodora. Shortly thereafter, she was allegedly found to be plotting to usurp the throne with a man named Presian of Bulgaria. Theodora was not condemned, but later in 1031 charges were brought against her in another conspiracy, which resulted in her being forcibly held in the monastery of Petrion. During this time, Zoe's husband died causing her to re-marry Michael IV. After his death, Zoe adopted Michael's nephew (Michael V), who promised to respect her authority. Against his word, however, Michael V banished Zoe on a charge of attempted regicide. This spurred a popular uprising in Constantinople due to the disposal of a legitimate heir of the Macedonian Dynasty. The popular assembly stormed the imperial palace and proclaimed both Theodora and Zoe as Empress. After Zoe's death, Theodora would reign as sole Empress from 1050–1055.

Did you know?

As Constantine IX laid dying, he implored his logothetes tou dromou, or Postal Logothete, to ignore the rights of Theodora and instead allow the doux of Bulgaria to inherit the throne. This plan was foreseen by Theodora who, despite her age, asserted her right to rule. She took even further measure in the form of a covenant, convening the imperial guard allowing them to proclaim her "emperor". 

Pictured Left: Depiction on Empress Theodora on the Monomachus Crown. By anonimous [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Via Wikipedia: "The Monomachus Crown (Hungarian: Monomakhosz-korona) is a piece of engraved Byzantine goldwork, decorated with cloisonné enamel, in the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, Hungary. It consists of seven gold plates depicting Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus, his wife Zoe, her sister Theodora, two dancers and two allegorical figures. The piece has puzzling aspects that have long made it the subject of scholarly debate; it was probably made in Constantinople in 1042."

Opinion

Welcome to my daily opinion. I had a few options today for an event, including the Nika riots and the birth of Theodosius I. That being said,  I felt it most appropriate to discuss Theodora and her story. It is a rare occurrence in Roman history to be able to discuss such a powerful woman. I think it is also very important to remember that it's rare not because women were somehow sitting on their hands for thousands of years of Roman history, but because Roman culture was simply very patriarchal. In my opinion, this adds even more credibility and proof that when a woman does rise to power in Roman culture, she absolutely deserves to be there. Women become more prevalent in roles of power in later Byzantine history, as the old remains of extreme Roman patriarchy slowly subside. I also believe countless unnamed woman exercised high amounts of both political and personal power at all times within Roman history, even if the writings of the time do not reflect this. It's always crucial to remember who is writing the history, and to understand it contextually as far as culture is concerned. We must remember that Romans lived in a male dominated culture.

Sources

   Garland, L. (1999). Byzantine empresses: women and power in Byzantium, AD 527-1204. London: Routledge.
   Psellus, M., & Sewter, E. R. (1953). The Chronographia. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Further Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_(11th_century)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logothetes_tou_dromou
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomachus_Crown

Special thanks: Michael Houghan